


One shots

by Seven_Sisters



Category: Original Work
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-09
Updated: 2017-11-09
Packaged: 2018-10-30 00:10:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 3,848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10864986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Seven_Sisters/pseuds/Seven_Sisters
Summary: A collection of stand alone writing exercises. Each chapter is unrelated to the others. I expect to use this as a way to write while working around issues with primary narratives.





	1. What is that?

"What is that?"

"This? This is a gun."

"Don't be a dick. Why do you have a gun?"

"You know. You were there."

"Yeah. I was there. You don't see _me_ reaching for a gun."

"Yeah? Well, maybe you should."

"No. You can't change what happened. Especially with a gun."

"I'm not trying to change anything. It's done. I'm looking forward."

"Bullshit! You are still living in the past. This won't bring her back!"

"No, it won't."

"Then why do this!"

"Just because I can't change what _has_ happened doesn't mean I can't change what _will_ happen."

"What kind of logic is that!"

"Seems pretty straight forward. What happened is done and I can't change it. I would. You know I would. I would have taken her place in a heartbeat. But it's too late for that. Can't change it. Doesn't mean I have to accept it."

"But a gun! No! You ... can't - you, _can't!_ "

"Yes I can. Don't wait up. I won't be coming home."


	2. Valast

Valast stood beneath the light of a full moon, running her hands up and down her arms as if she were chilled. It was an old habit from a former life. She stood silent as she looked out across the landscape. She was hungry. She drew the darkness to herself, cloaking herself in shadow and moved through the humans like a half-forgotten memory.

The child? No. The blood is exquisite, potent and brimming with life, but there isn't enough. Besides, she wasn't like the others. She eschewed the blood of innocents. She preferred something more satisfying. Something more ... deserving.

He stood beneath a defective street light, visible yet unseen. She smiled. They were the same. She floated unnoticed behind him and touched his arm. He was a killer! Perfect! He jolted from her touch and turned to face the unknown threat. She flitted in and out of his awareness, his eyes sliding off every time he tried to look at her directly.

He drew a knife from a hidden pocket and extended the blade. He stabbed at the shadow and felt the blade pierce flesh. He waited for a scream but heard only a quiet sigh. The darkness seemed to gather itself together, and he saw a face. She was beautiful. Her hair flowed about her as if it were made of the finest spider's silk caught in a breeze.

He stabbed again, feeling the blade enter her body a second time. She didn't scream or pull away this time either. Instead, the shadow approached him, enveloped him and held him in its embrace. He felt her lips on his neck. He moaned as her teeth penetrated the artery in his neck. She held him close as she drained his blood then let him fall away.

She turned and returned to the shadows. She'd finished her meal not a moment too soon. It was time to return to the coven.


	3. Zwy - First Contact

Life is ubiquitous. Every galaxy has it, and most are awash in it. Complex life is not nearly so common, intelligent life even less so. Few species make it into space; fewer still make it beyond the reach of their star. Only one has developed the technology to leave the confines of their galaxy, and they cheated.

The first Earth ship capable of reaching another star during the lifetimes of its designers was halfway to its destination, cruising at nearly half the speed of light. Its mission would take it to the nearest star, enter its orbit and then return. A science payload powered by a nuclear generator made observations and sent data back to Earth via a high powered laser.

It was controlled by a pseudo-sentient artificial intelligence named Albert allowing it to act autonomously. It had to - it was too far from Earth for its human controllers to intervene should it encounter a problem. It needed to think for itself.

The first set of anomalous readings were analyzed, cataloged and ignored. As were the second and the third. By the fourth set of readings, Albert decided there must be a problem with its sensor bank. It ran a diagnostic, but everything was nominal. A few small adjustments were in order, but nothing to account for the data. It made them anyway and checked again. The readings didn't change. Now that was damn peculiar.

The object in its path didn't conform to anything in its data banks. It was too small to be radiating this much energy, and its EM spectrum was inexplicably specific. It fired a maneuvering thruster and adjusted its course to intercept the anomaly better.

* * *

The Zwy ship was on a mission of its own. The universe was dying, and they were preparing to leave. They were seeking other species to bring with them. It finished its survey of this galactic arm and bought its q-drive engines online.

The small Earth probe was caught in its wake as it twisted multi-dimensional space-time and traveled to its next station. Two copies of the probe remained behind, each traveling at half the velocity of the original. One continued towards its destination; the other traveled back to its planet of origin.

It took nearly two years for the Earth-based observers to realize something was wrong. Strange data was being sent back by the probe; there was a sudden eruption of impossible readings, then the data stream abruptly ended. It took another year before an accidental miscalibration of the equipment revealed the problem. The signal's red shift had changed dramatically - the ship was traveling impossibly slow. It took a few more months before they discovered its blue shifted counterpart. They understood the implication immediately, even if they were unwilling to accept it. There was a second probe heading towards Earth.

The returning probe eventually found its way back and inserted itself into an orbit around the sun. A recovery team was there when it arrived, and its initial report escalated the controversy. This was the same probe, but it wasn't. It was a mirror image of the original - like a sock turned inside out.


	4. Mary

He looked up as he sat in the shade of the massive tree. He'd tried to speak with Mary several times but always chickened out when he had the chance. She so beautiful. Her hair was soft, her eyes enchanting. Her lips were so inviting and her voice was like music to his ears. Her body would make a goddess jealous - she'd make a killing as a model if she wanted.

He sighed, closing his eyes and recalling her in his mind. She was perfect. He'd even started a poem in an effort to give voice to his feelings, but he couldn't get past the first stanza:

_Mary was a cheerful child, full of wit and grace  
_ _Long blond hair and clear blue eyes, her bonnet made of lace_

He held the paper in his lap, wishing he could tell her how he felt. Unlike her, he was ugly. He wasn't handsome and he lacked social skills. He had no idea how to fit in with the others in his school. There was no way she'd even look in his direction, not even by accident.

She suddenly appeared beside him. Her long blond hair was braided down her back and her dress exuded an understated sexiness. He was startled and embarrassed. She smiled nervously and sat next to him, brushing back a stray strand of hair from her eyes as she looked at him.

"Hi. Um, ... I'm Mary."

He stammered something that sounded like his name then turned away, blushing furiously. She laughed softly and he felt his stomach flutter. He felt another stirring a bit further down and shifted self-consciously, hoping she wouldn't notice.

"So. Um ... I was wondering ... um"

He summoned his courage and took a chance. "Um ... yeah. Uh ... how are you ... I mean why are you ... Yeah. Sorry." He mentally kicked himself. _I'm so stupid!_

"I saw you here and I was wondering if ... um, I was wondering if I could have lunch with you?"

His eyes widened. He'd come here to eat. It was part of his daily routine. It was easier to eat alone than try and interact with the other kids. It was lonely, and it hurt, but it was preferable to being treated like some kind of freak.

"Uh ... yeah. Sure. If you want. I just have a sandwich or something. I, uh, don't remember what, exactly." _Stupid, stupid, stupid!_

"Oh? Can I see?" He handed her the paper bag and she rummaged through it.

"This looks good. Did your mom make it for you?"

"No. I, um, made it myself. My mom doesn't ... um, but it's good. I like turkey and ... cheese."

"I have a yogurt cup. I'm not really hungry today, so you can have it if you want."

"I can?"

"Sure! Here, I'll open it. Oh, and I have a spoon too ... but I'll need it back. Um. Hey, I was wondering ..."

"Yes?" He swallowed at the lump in his throat but it wouldn't go away.

"I don't like to eat alone and, um, I was wondering ... if maybe I could join you? We have the same lunch hour and I'd like to spend it with you. I mean, if you're okay with it. I don't want to be pushy or anything."

He blushed even deeper as he nodded. "Uh, sure! That would be great."

She smiled, handed him the yogurt cup and the spoon then started eating her sandwich. He smiled. This was probably the best yogurt he'd ever had.


	5. Cantina

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a submission for a writing challenge in the Reddit /r/FanFiction sub.
> 
> https://www.reddit.com/r/FanFiction/comments/68lycd/prompts_challenge_round_12_may/
> 
> Outsider POV

* * *

Janlatu watched as the two strangers entered the cantina. They stood out for some reason that he couldn't quite put his finger on. The older man carried an odd aura of power. Perhaps a Jedi ... but no. That cult was long dead. The ... what did they call themselves again? Sith? Yeah, that's it. The Sith had wiped them out over a generation ago. There were no Jedi anymore and that suited him just fine. They had a reputation for getting into other people's business. The galaxy was better off without them as far as he was concerned.

The boy was some kind of local hick from the looks of things. He wore the common garb of the working poor of Tatooine. He smelled like a moisture farmer, and he clearly didn't belong here among the cutthroats, smugglers and other assorted intragalactic scum. He made a bet with himself that the boy would likely be dead within the hour. Still, there was something about him. Something to do with the Force.

Janlatu sat in the shadows like most of the clientèle that frequented the Mos Eisley Cantina. He nursed a drink while he waited for his contact to arrive. He always kept a low profile and a close eye on everyone who entered the bar. These two were no exceptions. If anything, they stood out in spite of the old man's attempts to blend in. The boy's wide eye wonderment wasn't helping.

Janlatu was bored. His contact was late, but that wasn't unusual. There was nothing for him to do now but wait. He listened as Figrin D'an and the Modal Notes played on the small stage. They were pretty bad. Well, they were technically fine as musicians, but they had an incredibly limited repertoire. They'd been playing this monstrosity of a song for over two hours now. They must work cheap. Why else would you hire them?

The old man walked to the bar with the confidence of a regular. He wore a cloak that made his features difficult to make out. The boy stood in the doorway, dumbstruck by what he saw. _One hour, tops._ Janlatu smiled when the droids accompanying the boy started to enter. The bartender must be in a good mood today as all he did was tell the boy to send the droids outside. Well, that was one challenge he managed to meet without losing anything vital like an arm. Or a head. Damn fool kid didn't even realize what just happened.

Janlatu waited and watched. It was starting to feel like things were about to get interesting. Even so, he was surprised by how quickly things escalated. The boy joined his friend at the bar and ordered a drink. He picked a bad time to sit there. The two barflies next to him, Roofoo and Ponda Baba, were drunk and bored from the looks of things. That is never a good thing, and this poor boy just attracted their attention. _Perhaps an hour was too generous._

He watched in amusement as Ponda Baba starting giving the boy a hard time. The older man might have been able to defuse things, but he was talking to a wookie. Janlatu looked around. He'd seen this wookie before, and if he were right, then Solo wouldn't be far off. Sure enough, the human was sitting at a booth watching his friend talk to the old man.

Oh! Now this was getting good! Ponda Baba's partner, Roofoo, decided to join in. Things must be slow for those two. Janlatu listened to what he was saying. Yep, same old thing. Wanted men on a dozen planets or so. Death warrants. The works. The boy was apparently trying to placate them, but that wasn't going to happen. There was going to be bloodshed. He thought maybe he should feel sorry for the boy's untimely death but decided it wasn't worth the effort.

He returned to scanning the bar when he heard the boy crash into a table. Roofoo had drawn his pistol and was aiming it towards the old man. _Perhaps I was wrong. Maybe it'll be the old man who will die today._ Janlatu watched in astonishment as the old man drew a lightsaber and slashed at Roofoo then removed one of Ponda Baba's arms. _Ow! That had to hurt!_ He gripped his pistol beneath the table and looked around. He relaxed a few seconds later as the rest of the bar patrons returned to their own affairs.

 _A lightsaber!_ Was this old man a Jedi after all? No, it wasn't possible. They'd been wiped out, and even if there were a few survivors, there's no way they'd be hanging out in this dive. He must have found the thing and taught himself to use it. Still, the way he timed the slash to Roofoo's chest before the latter could fire his pistol was impressive.

He kept a closer eye on things. The old man collected his young friend and accompanied the wookie to the table where Solo was seated. They seemed to be negotiating something. Probably passage off the planet. They spoke for awhile then slipped out the back as two Imperial Storm Assholes entered the cantina. That explained a few things. Janlatu pushed back into the shadows as the two storm troopers walked past him. He didn't need the attention either.

He turned and looked back towards the door and noticed Greedo heading towards Solo's table. There was a bounty on Solo, and it looked like Greedo was there to collect. _This is getting better by the minute._ The two returned to the booth and began to discuss something between them. Janlatu had a pretty good idea what that might be about. He watched from his vantage point as Solo leaned back in his seat and surreptitiously unholstered his pistol. They continued to argue then Greedo evidently said something Solo didn't want to hear. Solo fired a shot through the table at Greedo, ending the conversation.

Janlatu returned to his drink as Solo left. _Well, at least the wait wasn't a total bore._


	6. Big Boys Don't Cry

The child lay in his bed, looking out into the darkened room. She wasn't coming for him. Not tonight. Not ever. He knew this. He'd known it for some time. But he still didn't understand.

He had been awakened one morning by his family and dressed in his Sunday best. They told him he'd be going to a place where his mother was. She'd died a few days ago from some kind of illness. He didn't know much more than that - adults didn't talk to children like him about those sorts of things. All he knew was she was sick, then she was in the hospital and then she was dead.

He rode with his dad in the back seat of his uncle's car. They arrived at the place a short time later, and everyone seemed to be waiting for them. He walked in and was approached by one of his cousins.

"Look, your mom is in there, and they'll bring you up to see her. It's okay to be sad, but don't cry. Big boys don't cry."

He nodded in understanding. He wouldn't cry. He was brought up to the casket where his mom was, and he looked in. She looked like she was asleep and he didn't understand why she didn't just wake up. It's easy - you just open your eyes. But her eyes remained closed. His eyes remained dry. He was a big boy, and big boys don't cry.


	7. The Shattering

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this in order to answer a question posed on the Steven Universe reddit sub: https://redd.it/7bsxu8
> 
> How was Pink Diamond shattered? How do we reconcile the conflicting clues? Here's one approach to the question.

"Pearl? Dear? What do you make of this?"

The tiny pink gem looked up at her diamond and took the note being handed to her. She was dressed in an all pink jumpsuit, open at the abdomen to expose her gemstone and her long hair cascaded down her back in a ponytail. She brushed a bang out of her eye as she read the note.

> _Pink. We must meet. This war is going badly, and we're going to lose at this rate. It is time we stood up to White's tyranny. Blue and I will meet you at the location we discussed earlier. **Come alone!** I can't stress that enough! **No one** must know of our meeting. That's imperative!_  
> 

The diminutive gem looked at her beloved diamond and shrugged. "I don't know, my diamond. This is highly unusual, even for Yellow Diamond. A clandestine meeting? It makes me nervous. We are at war, after all - are you really willing to travel alone without an escort? What if you're attacked?"

Pink Diamond nodded. "I know, Pearl. This is most unusual, and I agree it's dangerous. But Yellow is right - we're losing this war, and untold numbers of gems are being destroyed daily. Something has to be done. White refuses to budge, so perhaps its time the three of us took a united front in opposition. Perhaps she'll listen then."

"So you're going?"

"Yes, Pearl."

"Alone?"

Pink Diamond chuckled. "No, dear. You'll be with me, of course. I would never leave you behind. You're too precious to me."

Pink Pearl smiled and clasped her hands together. "Ooo! Thank you, my diamond! I'll make the necessary preparations." Pink Diamond smiled as her devoted servant scampered out of the chamber to prepare the palanquin.

* * *

The palanquin had been traveling for several days, and it finally approached its destination. The sun shone brightly, and birds were chirping, claiming territory and calling for a mate. Distant clouds floated across the sky, pushed along by a quiet breeze. It was, all in all, a beautiful day.

The palanquin came to a stop, dust billowing out from beneath it as it settled onto the ground. Pink Diamond waited patiently for her sister to call out. It didn't take long.

"Pink! You're here. Good. Come out where we can talk."

Pink Diamond took a breath. She loved her sister, but Yellow tended to be abrasive. No sense of style, that one. Now Blue - there was a diamond with grace and poise. Still, there was nothing for it. Yellow was as White made her.

She stepped out of her palanquin and looked about. "Yellow?" she called, confused that her sister wasn't present. A shape appeared out the shadows then suddenly charged. A pink colored sword cut through the air and into her projected form.

Normally this would have had little or no effect on her. She's a diamond, after all. But this was no common sword, and this was no common gem. She'd frozen in place at the shock of seeing the feared Rose Quartz charging at her. _No! This isn't possible!_ she thought as she watched the arc of the sword as it cut the air. It was surreal, and she involuntarily hesitated.

The brief hesitation was all Rose Quartz needed. The sword cut through the air and connected with the holographic form Pink Diamond projected. She felt it cut into the light and connect with the gem in the middle of Pink Diamond's body. The gem shuddered then shattered, her body erupting in a bright light that forced her assailant to step back from its intensity. Her gem, what was left of it, lay on the ground in pieces.

Rose Quartz looked at her handy work as tears formed. This was not what she had wanted, but Yellow Diamond had convinced her that it was the only way to end the carnage of the war. Too many gems were being slaughtered; it had to stop.

> _"Rose, get a grip. I'm not here to shatter you. You know as well as I do that if you're martyred this rebellion will only get worse. We must work together to end this war, and there is only one way for that to happen - a diamond must be shattered, and you must be seen doing it. There is no other way."_  
> 

The plan was simple: Pink Diamond would arrive unaccompanied in her palanquin, Yellow Diamond would call her out, and Rose Quartz would shatter her. It went off without a hitch.

Almost. A small, pink pearl had looked out fearfully from inside the palanquin. "My Diamond!" she'd called out as she watched her liege be cut down before her. She ran out and cradled the shards to her body, lost in her grief as sobs racked her body.

Rose Quartz held her sword then turned away. She'd destroyed one innocent today; she would not destroy another. She walked over to where Yellow Diamond's palanquin was hidden in the wood.

"It's done. And you have your witness," she said, gesturing back to Pink Pearl.

"No," Yellow Diamond answered. "She won't do. She knows too much. I'll deal with her in due course. We have a ruby out on a lone reconnaissance mission which saw the whole thing go down. She'll be our eyewitness. She's perfect.

"So. Now that I've done your dirty work for you, _Yellow_ ," Rose Quartz spoke, spitting out the other's name. "Are you going to keep your word? Will you leave this planet in peace?"

Yellow Diamond looked at Rose Quartz with a pitiless glare. "Oh, yes. We're done here. We've finished our final plans, and everything is in place. We're ready to leave now. Your handling of my 'dirty work,' as you so delicately put it, makes that possible now. We'll be leaving soon. Gather your forces and watch the skies and you'll see our departure with your own eyes. It'll be a sight to behold, I assure you. Now leave. I must attend to the pearl."


End file.
